Tyren
by Red1969
Summary: After losing his parents, Tyren, a half human/half elf child is raised by his human family who has hidden his existence from the elves. This story was inspired by Tolkien' The Lord Of the Rings. I do not own the setting or the creatures borrowed from his world, only the characters I have created to live in it. Contains spanking of a minor. Please do no read if this offends you.
1. Chapter 1

Tyren had been walking for half the day and now part of the night, yet he still had no idea where he was. If only he had listened to his Uncle who had warned him many times not to wander too far into the forest - especially at night. But Tyren loved the forest more than any other place. He spent most of his days (and some nights) exploring and was always most careful not to lose his bearings when he pushed the limits - save this day. This day he went further than he ever had before, thinking all the while that he knew the way back, but the forest was a funny place that would sometimes change right before your very eyes.

He thought sure with all his walking he would have found a tree, or a rock or anything at all that was familiar to him, but there was nothing. Finally exhausted and frustrated and hopeless and scared, he did what any other child would do – he collapsed against the nearest unfamiliar tree and began to sob.

Suddenly he heard a noise and snapped his head up, expecting to see some monster coming for him, but instead of a monster, he saw a bright sparkling orange orb of light no bigger than a woodland moth hovering above a tree branch right in front of him. Filled with amazement, he stopped sobbing and starred at the tiny orb for the longest time, wondering what it could be. Finally, his curiosity got the better of him and he stepped closer for a better look. Startled by the sudden movement, the tiny Orb made a squeaking sound and shot backwards.

"No please wait." Tyren said urgently. The tiny orb stopped. "Don't be afraid." He insisted and continued stepped forward slowly. "I won't hurt you."

When he got closer, he was amazed to realize he was looking at some sort of fairy with fluttering wings and pointed ears similar to his own, only this little creature was not like him, this creature was a…. "Are you a fairy?" He asked with the wonderment that only a child of the forest could possess.

The little creature nodded its head sheepishly.

"My uncle has told me many tales of fairies, but I've never seen one with my own eyes." Tyren explained as he starred almost mesmerized by the bright sparkling wings. "Your wings are really nice."

The fairy blushed and gave Tyren a bashful shrug as it hovered, twisting back and forth in mid air, delighted. It was then that he realized the little creature was a she.

"I am Tyren Alvendar." He said giving her a little bow. "I live in a castle just beyond the forest, where my uncle is king. They say I am a prince, though I am not quite sure if that is true or not, but in any case, I am pleased to make your acquaintance."

The fairy curtseyed.

"Do you live near?" He asked her. She shook her head and pointed further into the forest. Tyren nodded. "Are you lost as well?" Again the little fairy shook her head then she pointed to Tyren. "Yes I am lost. I've been walking for hours and I still can't find my way back." He paused suddenly, hit with an idea. "Do you know the way?"

The fairy nodded her head with a smile.

"Will you show me?"

She nodded again.

Tyren followed as the fairy led him through brush, over streams, under fallen trees, over rocks, and all the way through the forest to where things began to look familiar. When he reached the edge of the forest where the clearing began he turned to her very excited and amazed. "You did it. You led me home."

She grinned at him.

"I never thought home would look so good. How can I ever possibly thank you enough?"

She shrugged.

"Look, I must go this instant as I am sure everyone in the kingdom is looking for me by now, but do you think the next time I am in the forest I could make your acquaintance again?" He asked her.

She shot forward suddenly looking very excited and began nodding her head quickly.

Tyren reached his hand out to her and waited till she placed her tiny little hand on his first finger. "Until we meet again then my Lady…." He said and leaned forward and kissed it gently. "Thank you again for helping me. I will never forget your kindness." He said.

The tiny Fairy's orange glow turned the same bright shade of pink of her now flushed cheeks as she shrugged her shoulders upward and began twisting back and forth in the air in front of him. He bid her farewell and after one last bow he ran through the brush and into the clearing towards the castle.

When he got near the gate and saw that the guests were starting to arrive he decided to enter a different way - Around the back and up the ivy, and in through the window off the kitchen, where he gave everyone quite a start.

"Good heavens! Prince Tyren! Your aunt has been searching for you. Where have you been?" Misses Thatcher cried as she helped him through the window. "And just look at the state of you."

Tyren looked.

xxxxx

The celebration was soon to get underway, and Arietta was beginning to get frustrated with everyone, especially the young men in the household. The girls had given her no trouble past what they would wear and once that was decided, they spent the day primping and preparing. The male members of her family on the other hand - Uh, those men! She was about to ring every one of their necks, the king included. The bath was prepared early enough to get all of them in and out and finished in time for the celebration, but of course her brother, the King - who was first as he was the head of the household - spent far too long soaking and napping in the warm water. She had to pop her head in twice to wake him, ordering him on the second to finish so the rest of the house could take their turn.

Kelvin was next after that, and then Jarrett then Rudd then Braden then Dulcin then Lander till finally it came to the last – Tyren. Where in the name of all the gods was Tyren? She went to the hall, but he was not there. 'Ah, the kitchen,' she thought, 'trying to get to the sweets no doubt.' and she headed that way and that's when she caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of her eye. She snapped her head in that direction and there he was in front of Miss Thatcher looking a filthy mess. "Tyren!" she shouted as she stepped closer, looking him up and down, completely shocked at the state of him. "Just look at yourself."

Tyren looked down at himself for the second time that evening. He was covered in dirt and mud and bits of leaves, his shirt and trousers were torn, he reeked of sweat and the forest.

"Where on the good earth have you been?"

"Exploring." Tyren said as a matter of fact.

"Exploring what I can only guess. You look like you've been rolling in the mud." She said, still gawking at him.

"I slipped and rolled down a hill."

She shook her head and sighed then suddenly there was this look on her face as if she had just decided something in her mind and she snatched him by the arm. "Come with me." She said pulling him along.

"Come where? What are you doing?"

"You need a bath young man."

"A bath, I don't need a bath. All I have to do is change my clothes and I'll be as good as new." He protested.

"This is a very important celebration and I will not have any of you not looking your best. Now come, please. I have much to do and no time for foolishness." She said, her voice sounding stressed.

Just then Rudd turned the corner in front of them, freshly bathed and nicely dressed in a fine green tunic. His eyes went wide when he saw his filthy young cousin in his Aunts grasp.

"Oh, thank the Gods, Rudd." Arietta said with a great amount of relief. "Would you please see to it that this mess of a child gets cleaned up and dressed appropriately?"

Rudd looked as if she were asking him to pull out his own teeth. "But Auntie, I was just on my way down to the festivities." He protested in a voice that was very close to a whine.

"And I am not a baby." Tyren added. "I can get myself cleaned up and dressed."

"If that were true, you would have done it without argument." She said pushing the younger lad into the older one. "Please Rudd, the guests are starting to arrive and I need to get down there."

"I am the son of the King in case anyone has forgotten and I need to get down there as well. Besides…." He said shifting his eyes to the boy. "…the little rat is not my responsibility."

Arietta took a sudden step toward the flippant young man who now towered over her with a look on her face that made him take a step back. "Now you listen to me – Son of the King." She snarled, her voice beginning to rise. "I am the Sister of the King as well as your aunt and I say that you will do as I ask of you or I swear I will revoke your invitation to the festivities and have you locked in your chambers for the remainder of the evening. Now, what say you to that?"

Now very regretful, Rudd began to back step. "Now Auntie…I did not mean any disrespect I was simply saying…..." he tried.

"I don't care what you were simply saying! I only want you to do as you were told, now can you do that or Not?!" She demanded.

Rudd nodded his head, completely compliant, and respectful now. "Yes my Lady."

"Thank you!" She snapped then simply turned on her heels and marched herself down the corridor to see to her guests.

Both lads watched her back till she was gone, then they both turned to each other – one angry and one smirking.

"What are you grinning at, blast you?" Rudd snarled as he grabbed the boys arm and jerked him forward. "Come on!"

"Ouch! Stop pulling on me! You're hurting my arm!" Tyren shouted

"Oh shut up!" Rudd snapped as he dragged the child to the bathing chamber and shoved him through the door, sending him stumbling across the floor.

XXXXXX

Claudette, the newest addition to the castle staff, was in the bathing chamber dumping pots of hot water into the wooden tub to warm it up for one of the prince's she had heard had just arrived. It was not normally her station to be in the bathing chambers, but was overjoyed to oblige when Miss Thatcher asked her to oversee the task. Any chance to see one of the Prince's that closely was fine with her. She had a wee bit of a crush on each and every one of them, especially Jarrett, the eldest with his dark hair and emerald eyes that always seemed to dance every time he smiled, which was quite often. It was him she was daydreaming about when the door burst open and hit the stone wall, giving her quite a start. She jumped and spun around, not knowing what to expect, and that is when she saw Rudd, the largest of all the Princes with his broad shoulders and muscular arms and every bit as handsome as his older brother, only with chestnut eyes. With him was the youngest prince, Prince Tyren, whom he slung into the room.

"My Lord." She said and gave a small curtsy.

The Prince gave her a quick nod then pointed an angry finger at the boy. "Get those filthy rags off and get into that tub, quickly. You have three minutes."

"Don't order me about like some dog!" The lad shouted, clearly not intimidated by his much larger cousin.

"I will order you about any way I please." Rudd said taking a step forward. "Now do as I say

"No!" The lad shouted defiantly. "I won't do as you say you are not in charge of me!"

"I am right now. You heard what Auntie said, and I am not going to spend the rest of the evening locked in my chambers because of you. Now get undressed and get in that tub!"

"No." The boy said crossing his arms over his chest. "I won't do it."

"Tyren, I'm warning you…..."

"And I'm warning you!"

Claudette didn't know what to do. She knew she shouldn't involve herself, but she couldn't just stand there. "Excuse me, My Lord?"

The Prince's eyes shifted to her almost causing her heart to stop. "Yes Claudette?" He said, calmer now that he was addressing her.

Shocked and delighted that he actually knew her name, she flushed red suddenly and forgot what she was about to say, finally after a moment of him staring at her waiting, she remembered and finished. "P-p-perhaps I could be of some assistance?"

The Prince looked back at the boy then he drew in a breath and blew it out hard. "Right then." He said as he quickly began to un-toggle his fine Green Tunic. "I'll hold him down, while you scrub."

That was not at all what she had meant by assistance, but she dared not argue with the prince.

"What are you doing?" Tyren asked cautiously and slowly began to back away as Rudd carefully remove his tunic and lay it over the back of the chair.

"You want that we should do this the hard way, so be it." He said and suddenly leaped for the boy.

The younger Prince tried to run, but did not get but a step or two before he was grabbed and hauled right back. Immediately there was a struggle between them as one tried to break away and the other began pulling and tugging at the others filthy clothes. The shirt came off easily enough, but the second the Prince went for the younger's trousers, the lad lashed out with more ferociousness than Claudette ever thought possible. So much so that she would have let the lad go immediately, but Rudd didn't seem swayed in the least. He simply wrapped one large muscular arm around the hostile child's middle and lifted him off his feet.

"Put me down!" The boy roared as he fought and kicked to get free.

Ignoring the protest, Rudd untied the laces at the boy's waist and loosened the trousers enough to get them off the struggling lad who was now pounding at both the arm clutching him and the hand removing his trousers. Rudd ignored this, though clearly it was beginning to annoy him, and simply carried the now naked boy over to the large tub and dropped him in water with a splash.

Claudette stepped in immediately with a cloth with the intention of washing the boy as she was told, but the second she touched the lad's skin, he went wild with anger.

"Get your hands off me!" Tyren shouted as he swung nearly striking Claudett's face.

"Oy!" Rudd shouted as he tried to restrain him. "Stop that!"

Tyren swung again, only this time at his cousin, and struck him hard across the face with a powerful open handed slap. So startled by the blow Rudd shouted out and jerked backwards knocking into Claudette who screamed out suddenly and then again when she was tossed aside and knocked into the table of oils sending them all crashing to the floor.

"You little Troll!" Rudd roared as he stood suddenly yanking the lad out of the water at the same time. He then tucked him face down under one powerful arm and raised his large hand high above his bare, wet upturned backside and brought it down with a crack that echoed around the room.

The boy screamed so loud, Claudette wanted to blog her ears only she was so shocked by what was happening she couldn't move. She had never seen a Prince disciplined this way. She didn't even know it was allowed, and much less what the proper protocol was when one found herself in this position. She decided to avert her eyes and try to pretend nothing at all was amiss.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

"Where is Rudd?" Jarrett asked his Aunt. "I expected him down here first."

"Tyren strolled in looking a fright." Arietta told him. "So I sent him off the make sure he got in the bath."

Jarrett looked at her, surprised. "You sent Tyren off with Rudd?"

"Yes, I did, why?"

Jarrett gave her a raised eyebrow look.

"I'm sure they will be …..." She never finished her sentence because someone beside her interrupted by clearing their throat.

"Forgive the interruption my lady." The girl started, then leaned forward and whispered in her ear. When she finished, Arietta exasperated then rolled her eyes.

"What?" Jarrett asked, still grinning.

"It seems there is a great disturbance coming from the bathing chamber." She said with a good bit of annoyance.

"Of course there is." Jarrett laughed. "Everyone knows Rudd has no patience to speak of. He's probably trying to drown the lad as we speak."

Arietta gave him a sideways look.

"Arietta," The king shouted from across the room. "Come and say Hello." He chuckled.

Arietta painted a big smile on her face. "Right away Brother." She shouted back then whispered to Jarrett. "Would you please go and see what in the blazes is going on up there?"

He laughed and gave a little bow. "Yes my lady." He said and started that way.

"Oh and Jarrett." She called after him. Jarrett turned back. "Remind both of them that if I have to come up there neither one of them will sit for the rest of the evening."

Jarrett laughed again and nodded his head. "I will inform them of this immediately." He said and quickly exited the hall.

Jarrett was not worried. He knew his Brother would never really hurt the lad. With Rudd it was just a matter of move or be moved. It was just his way. 'All brawn.' He thought with a smile as he walked towards the bathing chamber but then suddenly he heard the sound of something shatter and quickened his pace. Then there was shouting and screaming and his quickened pace turned to running and he went sprinting down the corridor. When he got to the chamber door and heard smacking sounds - many of them - followed by the screams and cries of his young cousin and suddenly he knew exactly what was happening inside.

"Rudd!" He shouted at his brother after throwing open the door. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" Rudd snarled as he brought his hand down once again on the lads now crimson backside.

"Jarrett!" Tyren wailed. "Make him stop! Make him stop!"

Jarrett was already on his way. "That's enough, Rudd. He's had enough. Let him go."

"Not until I give him the hiding he deserves for striking me in the face." Rudd said about to deliver another swat but Jarrett grabbed his arm and stayed his hand.

"You can finish spanking him later, for now we are all expected at the celebration - Auntie's orders."

"She also ordered that unless I get this little snake cleaned up I am not allowed to go to the celebration."

"I will make sure it's done. You go on down." Jarrett said.

Rudd looked at his brother, annoyed at first, then thought of the party and the fact that he would rather be there then here anyway. "Fine." He said as he tossed the lad back into the water with a splash, then snatched his green tunic off the chair the hastily exited the room.

Jarrett grabbed a large bath cloth and quickly went to help his still sobbing cousin out of the tub. "Are you alright?"

Tyren jerked backwards and began shaking his head.

"No, you're not alright?" Jarrett asked suddenly very concerned. "Come out of there."

Tyren shook his head again and shifted his eyes. Jarrett looked to see what had the boy so deterred from getting out of the water and there was Claudette, still just standing there looking shocked.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Prince Jarrett looked up suddenly and gave Claudette a warm smile that made his emerald eyes sparkle and dance. "Sorry you had to witness their little quarrel." He said in his deep voice. "They are usually much more behaved than this."

She gave an awkward laugh, realized it, and stopped immediately. Then she smiled back at the beautiful Prince. "It's nothing to be sorry for my lord. I have three brothers of me own back home."

His smile grew larger and she could now see his perfect white teeth and amazing jaw line, and beautiful lips as his mouth moved. Lips she would love to have pressed against her own…..Oh wait what? What did he just say? She snapped out of it and tried to concentrate. "I'm sorry my Lord could you please repeat that?"

Prince Jarrett chuckled. "I was just saying that I think it wise that I take over from here. I'll see to it that he is presentable for the party." He said kindly.

"Oh, right. Yes of course my Lord." She said stepping forward with the cloth she still held in her hand.

"Thank you my lady." He said as he took it from her - his fingers accidently grazing her hand.

Claudette could barely contain herself having actually touched the prince and swore she would never wash that hand again. 'I must tell the others,' she thought to herself and hurried over to the door on the other side of the room. Only when she got there she realized it was actually the window. Feeing silly and stupid, she looked again and rushed back the way she had just come and exited the room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jarrett looked from the door to his cousin who was still in the bath sniffing and rubbing his crimson backside, and held up the bath sheet once again. "Come out of there." The boy complied without argument. "Striking Rudd in the face?" He said as he knelt down in front of the lad and began drying him off. "I think you would have been better off poking an angry hornet's nest with a stick. He is much older, uglier and bigger than you are."

Tyren begged to differ. "He is not older than I. None of you are older than I."

Jarrett agreed with this. "It is true, in years, you are much older than the rest of us, but you are of Elvin blood, therefore you cannot go by your years. You are still a child."

"Yes well I don't want to be a child anymore. It is not fair that everyone else gets to grow up and I don't." Tyren said and his eyes filled with tears again.

Jarrett looked at the lad sympathetically. "I understand how you must feel, but you will not be a child forever. One day you will grow up. It's just going to take a little longer for you than it did for the rest of us, but you cannot rush what is. We are what we are, and there is no changing it. You are elf and we are men." Saying these words made Jarrett realize something very dark and depressive suddenly - Tyren wouldn't fully mature for another seventy-five years or more, and live for thousands more after that - which was a far cry longer than any one of them. The poor lad would have to stand by and watch each and every one of his family members pass one by one until one day they would all be gone.

"What are you thinking about?" Tyren asked.

Jarrett had not realized he was in such deep thought till the lad spoke. He shook his head. "Nothing." He said and stood. "Come, let's get you dressed so we may join the festivities."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The celebration was well under way by the time Tyren and Jarrett made their entrance into the hall. "You're late." The King scolded them half-heartedly.

"Forgive us, Father." Jarrett said with a crooked grin and a slight bow. "We were unavoidably detained."

Aldwin grinned back and gave a dismissive wave of his hand. "Come both of you. Sit. Eat." He said with a large bellowing laugh. "Everyone, eat."

Those words could not have come soon enough to Aldwin's twin nephews, Lander and Braden. They reached forward immediately, ready to devour whatever was in front of them until their Mother, Arietta – The kings only sister – gave them a sharp look reminding them to mind their manners. Jarrett leaned over to his youngest brother, Rudd, and spoke loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Two strapping young warriors capable of facing down a whole army of Orc's and trolls, yet one hard look from their mother sends then scurrying like mice."

Rudd and a few others laughed as did Jarrett until he himself caught the same hard look from his aunt. Immediately he straightened and cleared his throat then pointed to the decanter sitting on the table – remembering to ask politely - "Would someone be so kind to pass the wine."

"Strapping young warrior's indeed." Aldwin said placing the decanter in front of his son causing laughter around the table.

Xxxxxx

Seeing such happiness under one roof was a grand sight to behold in Arietta's eyes, for it was not always so. After losing one of her first sister in law to illness, the other to tragedy and her youngest brother to war, only sorrow and heartbreak filled these halls, but here now, at this celebration everyone was happy.

As if feeling the same overflowing sense of pride and joy, Aldwin stood suddenly causing everyone to quiet down and give the king their full attention. "I would like to propose a toast." He said holding up his cup and spoke in the old tongue "To the great Alvendar' clan. May the gods of battle always look favorably upon us…."

Arietta did not wait for the toast to be over before she began drinking her wine. Since the days of her girlhood, the toasts of men were always the same – forever boasting about the gods of war and the glory of battle. Battle in her opinion was not some glorious sport as the men folk portrayed it to be. It was a horrible time of bloodshed and pain that look many lives. Their own beloved brother, Cederic did not return from the last battle – which was a painful blow to the Alvendar clan.

"May our minds always be sharp and our aim always true…" Aldwin continued.

"Here here." Kelvin said standing beside his Brother, his King.

"May we always return to our lands VICTORIOUS!" The King went on as every man stood now with their cups held high and out towards him. "To Victory!" He shouted and everyone repeated the words and drank from their cups.

To victory? 'Uh, these men.' Arietta thought as she rolled her eyes. She wondered how victorious her poor orphaned Nephew felt having lost both his parents to tragedy and war and looked toward his place at the table, but his chair sat empty. She looked around to see if perhaps he had chosen to sit with one of his older cousins, but he was nowhere she could see. So, she decided to go look for him.

The Kitchen was the first place she thought to look as anyone who knew Tyren knew of his great love and obsession with sweets – especially Miss Thatcher's sweet rolls. They were Tyren's absolute favorite, the same as his Mother, though no one ever had the heart to tell him so. Azaria was actually the one who had handed the recipe over to Miss Thatcher and asked her to make them. "It is the one thing I miss above all from my home in the woodlands." She would laugh. Arietta smiled at the memory of her dear sister in law she missed so dearly.

"Is everything alright my Lady?" Miss Thatcher asked looking concerned. "Your crying."

Arietta reached her hand up and toughed the tear she realized had just run down her cheek. "Oh forgive me." She said wiping it away quickly. "I am fine. I was just thinking of…" She couldn't say her name. "Anyway, I was looking for Tyren. Have you seen him?"

"Yes my Lady. He was in here a few hours ago saying that he was a bit tired and asked if he could have some cheese and bread to eat in his chambers." Miss Thatched told her with a bit of nervousness touching her voice. "I beg pardon if this was not approved."

"Oh no it's fine, of course." Arietta told her as she reached out and squeezed the lovely woman's hand. "It's just that I had not seen him for quite some time and I was worried."

"Not to worry my Lady. I will send Claudette this instant to go up and check to see that the lad is alright." She said grabbing the girl suddenly and sending her off.

"Thank you." Arietta said ready to go back and join the celebration which was winding down, thank the Gods. She was absolutely exhausted. "Oh and may I get a cup of tea."

"Of course. I will bring it straight away, my lady." Miss Thatcher told her with a curtsy.

Twenty minutes later, Arietta was sitting in her seat at the table drinking her tea, when Miss Thatcher came up and whispered in her ear. "What?" He asked thinking that she had heard wrong.

"Tyren is missing my lady. We can't find him anywhere."

Arietta stood suddenly and addressed the room. "Has anyone seen Tyren?" She asked, but her words drowned out by the rowdy table of overindulgent men drunk on war stories and wine. So she tried again louder this time "Has anyone seen Tyren?!" She nearly shouted, but still, no one heard her. Fed up suddenly with this foolishness - she snatched the decanter of wine off the table and smashed it into the fireplace.

Everyone fell silent and just looked at her like she had gone mad – everyone but the King that is.

"Bloody hell Arietta, what the devil are you doing?"

"Now that I have your attention" she said looking around at all of their startled faces "I will ask again. Has anyone seen Tyren!?" She demanded.

Every head turned toward the lads empty seat as if they were expecting to see him sitting right there. Of course he was not.

"All you VICTORIOUS men!" She said with as much venom as she could muster. "Too preoccupied with war and

drink to notice one missing boy!"

"Now, now Arietta, calm yourself." Aldwin spoke giving a slight laugh. "The lad is probably off messing about somewhere in the castle. I am sure he is fine."

"When is the last time anyone has seen him?" Arietta asked the room.

"I saw him not an hour ago." Lander spoke up after swallowing a mouthful of pork. "He was beginning to annoy Braden and I so we sent him off to play somewhere else."

"And where did he go?" She asked her infuriatingly unenthusiastic son.

Lander shrugged and took another bite and spoke with a full mouth "Dunno."

Arietta looked at the King, horrified.

xxxxxxxx

The hall became a chaotic place as everyone set off in search of the missing little elf. Jarrett and Rudd looked everywhere they could think. Upstairs, downstairs, in the kitchen, in the yard, in the stables, in the garden, everywhere - but he simply was nowhere to be found. They even thought to search all his best hiding places, the courtyard, the gazebo, the tower, but it was no use. Finally, Jarrett sat down and tried to think. 'Tyren never felt fully comfortable at such functions. Poor etiquette was one reason – as it had never been one of his strong suits but the main reason, Jarrett thought was because Tyren was not like any other person in the room. No one else had pointed ears or hair the color of spun gold, or eyes the color of jade lightning, and for these reasons he knew the lad always felt different – even a little detached – and feeling so would probably seek his solitude, as he most often did. So, the question was: Where would the lad most likely go to be alone?' He wondered as he looked up at the night sky. That's when he found his answer. "It's a full moon and the sky is filled with stars." He announced to his brother.

"Yes, and?" Rudd said not getting the point.

Jarrett looked at his thick headed brother and repeated himself. "I said it's a full moon and the sky is filled with stars." Rudd looked lost at first, but then the look of understanding came over him like a dawning and he knew as well as his Brother where the little elf had gone. They both looked up at the same time and spoke the words simultaneously. "The tower roof."

Xxxxxxxxx

Tyren was on the roof of the highest tower looking up at the night sky when he heard his name being called. He looked over the side at his cousins as they looked up.

Jarrett, upon seeing his face, looked immediately relieved. "There you are." He said. "Everyone has been looking for you. What are you doing up there?"

Tyren shrugged. "Enjoying the sights."

"Ah." Jarrett said with a smile as he looked at Rudd, but Rudd with his hardened expression obviously was not as amused as he, so he looked back up at Tyren and tried to look more stern. "Yes, well as that is all well and good Ty, but you didn't tell anyone where you were running off to and you had everyone worried."

Tyren shrugged indifferently. "So?"

Rudd scoffed suddenly looking even more annoyed now.

"So," Jarrett tried to explain gently. "The whole castle has been frantically searching for you. We feared something terrible had happened to you."

"I've not a care." Tyren shrugged again.

"Not a care?" Rudd said, his face starting to turn red with anger.

"Not one." Tyren said with an indifferent wave of his hand. "Now off with the both of you."

"You, insolent little troll!" Rudd shouted suddenly. "I'll show you 'Not a care' now get down from there this instant."

"Do not call me a troll. You are the troll, you big oaf, and I will get down when I am good and ready. Now, leave me alone." He shouted back. "I do not wish to speak to either of you."

Hearing these words took Jarrett back a little, though he didn't show it. "Why do you say such things?"

"Because I am angry!" Tyren Shouted.

Jarrett could see that, but the question was why.

Rudd laughed suddenly. "Angry. I'll show you angry."

"Why are you angry?"

"Because all you ever do is treat me like a baby."

"You are a baby!" Rudd snapped.

"I am nearly thirty-three years old. Do not call me a baby!"

"Tyren, we've talked about this. As an elf, we cannot go by your years alone. You are still but a child…"

"A child who should be punished or dishonoring his family?" Rudd added.

This was enough to make Tyren nearly go mad with anger. "I did no such thing! It is you who dishonored me!"

"Who dishonored you?" Jarrett asked truly trying to understand.

"He did!" Tyren shouted as he pointed an accusing finger at Rudd.

"Are you speaking of today in the bathing chamber?"

"Yes, when he stripped me down in front of that girl."

Jarrett looked at his brother harshly. "Did you really do that?"

Rudd tried to look unaffected by the look on his brother's face. "It did not happen like that. No exactly. I asked many times for him to get undressed and into the tub. He refused. And when I insisted he struck me in the face."

"By insisted, I assume you mean you stripped him down?"

"In front of that girl!" Tyren added from the roof.

"In front of that girl." Jarrett repeated his words.

"No…I mean yes."

"I see." Jarrett said eying his brother coldly.

"What do you see?"

"Never mind that now as we will discuss that with Father later this evening." He informed his Brother who rolled his eyes. "For now go and inform the others that Tyren has been found."

"But Brother….."

"Go blast you!" Jarrett snapped.

Rudd walked off without so much as another word.

"Will you come down now?" Jarrett asked when they were alone. Tyren shook his head. "Why not?"

"Because I don't belong with you."

"What are you saying. Of course you belong with us." Jarrett said calmly. "You are a member of this family, and as such you belong with us much as we belong with you."

"I am not like any of you."

"No, you are not." Jarrett said soothingly. "But you are still part of us."

"And what of the Elves, am I not part of them as well?"

Jarrett looked shocked at the mention of the elves, but he still answered the question honestly. "Yes, you are part of them also." He admitted.

"Then why can't I see them?"

"It's complicated." Jarrett said struggling with the answer.

"I don't care if it is. I want to see them."

"Of course you do," He said calmly. "and I promise I will try to do something about that in the future, but for now will you please just come down."

"Do you swear you will do something about it?"

"I do."

"Then say it." Tyren told him.

Jarrett took a steps forward with his hand over his heart. "I swear on my Mother's grave."

Of all his family members, Jarrett was the one Tyren trusted the most - if he said he would Tyren believed him.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Months later, the entire castle could hear what had to be the most heated argument there has ever been between a father and his son.

"He has seen too much of that world Father, and he wants to know more and more each day. I have no more answers for him. Do you?"

"I do not, but it matters not as I will simply forbid him from entering the forest. That will end his fascination and the questions will stop."

Jarrett looked at the King as if he were mad. "Your speaking out of you head if you think that. Forbid him from entering the forest? Do you not know the blood that runs through his veins? He won't be able to help himself."

"He will if he knows what's good for him!"

"Father, he is elf!"

"I know what he is!" The king roared as he took a sudden step forward that would have sent even the bravest men scurrying, but Jarrett held his ground firmly.

"I gave him my word, Father."

"And I gave my word to my Brother that I would care for his son."

"I know that, and we have cared for him, but now he wants to know more about who and what he is. He wants to know more of the elves – as I am sure Azariah would have wanted. It is not right we keep them from him or him from them for that matter. One day we will all be gone, and he will need them, do you not realize that?"

"No! The answer is no, and that is final and I won't hear any more about it, do you understand? Not another word." The King commanded.

"Bah." Jarrett said suddenly frustrated and infuriated with the stubborn, unyielding King standing before him, He straightened with a look that spoke volumes as to how un-accepting he was of this man's 'final decision. "I was hoping you'd see reason, but obviously that is never going to happen, but it matters not at this point because I have already taken the steps to get word to the elves."

"What!?" The King said looking shocked and horrified at the same time. "You did what!?"

"I've received word back this morning." Jarrett continued. "The elves will arrive within a fortnight. I suggest we prepare."

The king lunged forward suddenly with his hand raised high in the air and brought it down hard enough across the lads face to knock him sideways. "How dare you! How dare you take it upon yourself to decide such things!" The king shouted raising his hand again, but this time Jarrett managed to duck and twist enough out of the way that his Fathers heavy hand caught his shoulder instead of his already reddening cheek.

"I did it for Tyren!" Jarrett shouted as he continued to evaded his pursuing father – his hard heavy right hand in particular. "I did for him what you should have done the day his Mother died."

The king stopped suddenly, his eyes filled with tears as he starred at his son, his ashen face now sorrowful and distant. "I know I should have told them - when they came for her – I know I should have."

Tyren nearly leaped from his hiding place. "They came for my Mother?" He said looking wide eyed and shocked.

"Tyren Lad, what are you doing? This is a private discussion between adults." The king said as he quickly wiped the tears from his eyes.

"Answer me!" Tyren Demanded. "Did they come for my Mother after she died?"

The King dropped his head. "Yes."

Tyren started to get emotional. "Then they know of me?" He said his voice cracking.

The King did not answer.

"You told me the Elves wanted no contact because my Mother was exiled for marrying my father, is that not true."

"Partly true Tyren." Jarrett interrupted. "They did exile her, but the Kings love for his Daughter proved to be greater than any hatred he could have had for us, and so he relented and begged her to come back – and she may have done so - but then the accident happened. After hearing of her death the Elf King came here with his sons and requested that they be allowed to take her and lay her to rest with her kin as was customary to their ways."

"And what was said of me?"

"They were not informed of your' birth." Jarrett said softly.

Tyren stepped back with large tear filled eyes. "You lied to me all this time?" He accused.

The room grew larger as other family members began to step into now. Arietta with her husband Blythe, Uncle Kelvin – all of them with large eyes as they watched the King waiting for the truth to finally come to light. Aldwin looked at them and then back to Tyren with tears now running down his face.

"Please understand…. after losing our dear brother and then Azariah…we just couldn't bear to lose you too. We just couldn't." He said softly reaching his hand out to the lad.

Tyren shot backwards to avoid any contact.

"You lied to me." Tyren accused.

"Yes, but only to protect you." Arietta spoke up. "Please, you must understand. We did it out of love, which is the same reason Jarrett made contact with the Elves." She was speaking to her Brother now. "He did it for the boy Aldwin, and now it is you who must understand and come to terms with the fact that it is the only way." She said tearfully. "We must let him go."

Unable to heard these words any longer, the King fled from the room.

Xxxxxxxx

Jarrett followed Rudd as he went sprinting down the corridor and bursts into the king's sitting room where he sat talking to his Brother. "Father! They are here!" Rudd shouted at them excitedly. "The Elves are here!"

The King drew in a deep ragged breath. "Very well."

Seeing the look on his Brothers face, Kelvin stepped forward and placed his hand on his shoulder. "We are doing the right thing, Brother." He spoke softly. "Now let's go in there and show these bloody Elves what the Alvendar clan is made of."

The king nodded. "Yes." He said to his Brother, then he looked to his sons. "Well don't just stand there gawking - Show them in."

Tyren watched as a dozen or more armored Elvin guards entered the throne room - All of them over six and a half feet tall, broad shouldered with pointed ears and long hair falling down their backs. Behind them two more came - one dark haired and one light – walking side by side.

"The one with the dark hair is Kendal," his uncle Blythe whispered as they watched intently. "And the younger is Vander. Both of them are sons of the King. They are your uncles."

"I have more uncles." Tyren said feeling a bit excited.

Just then another elf walked in – the tallest one yet – with white blonde hair and the bluest eyes Tyren had ever seen.

"That is Riandal Greatood, King of the woodland realm – he is your Grandfather." Blythe told him, but Tyren already knew who he was. Based on his noble stature and commanding energy, he could be no other.

No one spoke but it was not hard to see and feel the animosity and distain between the two kings, especially now given the circumstances.

"Riandal." Aldwin said distastefully.

The Elvin king looked down his nose at the man with the same distasteful scowl. "Aldwin."

Arietta cleared he throat as a reminder for her brother to be courteous and polite to their guests.

"Oh right." The king said with a sigh. "Uh, I hope your journey was…..uneventful." He said for lack of a better word.

"It was as dreadful as it's always been, but worth every step if what I have been informed of is true." The Elf lord spoke, not unkindly.

"It is." Aldwin confirmed, his face hard as stone.

"A child?"

"Yes."

The Elf king looked around and grinned. "Azariah's child, here after all these years?"

"Yes."

Hearing this, the dark haired elf named Kendal, stepped forward and whispered something into his Fathers ear, to which the Elf lord responded with a dismissive wave of his hand. The Dark haired elf whispered again, only harsher this time, speaking in a foreign tongue, but the elf King cut him off by raising his hand up quickly and pierced the younger elf with his eyes. Immediately the lad fell silent and stepped back.

Riandal grinned suddenly. "You must forgive my Son's rudeness Lord Aldwin, but he has all but convinced himself that this is some sort of ruse designed to ensnare us into a trap."

Arietta, taking great offense to this, stepped forward suddenly. "I assure you, prince, there have been no traps set here." She spoke harshly, scolding the young elf who eyed here just as harshly. "We ask you here as guests and you insult us."

"You asked us here to see Azariah's child – if it even is her child – yet we stand here exchanging pleasantries."

"He does have a point." Riandel said still grinning. "We have come all this way to see this 'Child' yet you have not presented him to us. Perhaps you are trying to ensnare us is some elaborate scheme"

"Are you accusing the Alvendar clan of being deceptive, Elf?"

"I've never know the Alvendar Clan to be anything otherwise." The king hissed

"Elvin filth how dare you insult us!" Aldwin snarled as he stood suddenly and took a sudden step towards the elf lord.

With just a flick of Riandal's wrist, the elf guards immediately armed themselves which of course put all the human guards on high alert and they too armed themselves.

"Drawing arms in the presence of the King is a crime punishable by death!" Kelvin shouted.

"It is indeed, Human." Kendal shouted back.

XXXXXXXXX

"STOP!" Tyren shouted as he ran and got between both kings, his small arms outstretched in his brave, but feeble attempt to hold back the two powerful adversaries.

"Tyren, No!" Jarrett shouted fearing for the child's life.

But Tyren ignored him. Instead he looked up at the Elf King and shouted. "Grandfather!"

Hearing the title bestowed upon him, the Elf King's eyes immediately shot downward.

"Please." Tyren said softly as he looked up at the Tall figure with pleading eyes.

The Elf King gave another flick of his wrist without looking away from the boy and immediately his guards stood down. Tyren then turned his head to the other side.

"Uncle?" He said with his arms still out stretched, but Aldwin only continued to glare at the Efl Lord. "Uncle." He said louder. Aldwin looked at him finally. "Please." Tyren begged.

All the harshness drained from Aldwin's face and he too made his guards stand down.

"My Lord Riandal." Jarrett said quickly stepping forward to detract from the sudden tenseness in the room. "May I please introduce you to your grandson, Tyren."

XXXXXXX

Riandal could not take his eyes off the child who looked so much like Azaria – the eyes especially which were of the lightest green. Seeing them look upon him once again was enough to make Riandal want to weep. "You have your Mothers eyes." He said breathlessly, which made the child grin. Riandal's heart nearly skipped a beat. "And her smile." He said as the child reached his small hand out suddenly as if to shake his hand – which Riandal was ready to accept - but then someone gasped and the lad jerked back looking startled.

"I'm sorry." The child said looking fearful suddenly. "I did not mean…"

"Nonsense." Riandal said with a grin as he reached his own large hand out to the child urging him to take it. "Please, it is alright. It is an honor to meet you." He said with a slight bow of his head.

The child took his hand and immediately gasped. Riandal's smile widened as did every elf's around them for they now knew by this reaction that there was no question - the child before him was truly their kin.

"What was that?" Tyren asked looking enthralled which caused some of the Elves to chuckle.

"It is the genetic link within our life stream." Riandal told him with a smile.

"Life stream?"

"Yes, you are Elf and therefore capable of feeling your own kin and their life's energy."

"Do all Elves feel this 'life stream'?"

"Yes."

"Will I feel it from anyone else?"

"Of course, see for yourself." The King said gesturing toward the light haired Elf Jarrett had called Vander. Upon contact Tyren immediately felt that same tingle in his fingertips and warm feeling that traveling up his arm and into his chest, making him feel safe and secure and loved and most of all connected. Tyren smiled at the Elf. "You are my Uncle."

"Yes," He said with a smile. "Azariah was my sister, and this is my Brother Kendal – Azariah's twin."

Kendal stepped forward and again, the same feeling hit them both. They were family.


End file.
